for a living planet ®

WWF NepalANNUAL REPORT 2005-06

WWF is the largest and most experienced independent global

conservation organization with almost five million supporters and a network active

in more than 90 countries and the International Secretariat at Gland, Switzerland.

Since 1961, WWF has worked to conserve nature and ecological processes

through a combination of actions on the ground, national and international

advocacy work to establish appropriate policies, and international campaigns to

highlight and demonstrate solutions to crucial environmental problems.

WWF's Mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and

to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature by:

• Conserving the world's biological diversity;

• Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable; and

• Reducing pollution and wasteful consumption

To guide the organization in achieving this mission, WWF has identified five globally

important issues to which it can apply effort and support. These are:

• the conservation of forest, freshwater, and marine ecosystems

• the preservation of flagship species of special concern

• protecting nature from climate change.

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Looking back at the past 12 months, WWF Nepal faced numerous

challenges that taught us to innovate and work together to save our

species, forests, freshwater and combat climate change. We learned

valuable lessons along the way that will surely enrich our future conservation

efforts in Nepal.

Conservation is about people and April 2006 brought about a resurgence of hope

for Nepal. The restrictions in movement and project activities in several project

sites eased with the slow but sure return to peace. This meant that we could

approach our conservation work with renewed zeal. Through the conflict and in

the new climate of peace, the most important asset to our work has been

partnerships from the grassroots to the policy makers.

This created a synergy that propelled conservation in Nepal through one of the

most difficult periods. We were able to adapt to the changes thanks to the

support and participation of our partners. From the Terai Arc Landscape to the

mountains, our work succeeded in a great measure due to strong partnerships

that included local community groups, government bodies, I/NGOs, donors, and

committed individuals.

People working together to save nature is the cornerstone of our organization

and this fiscal year, I am happy to report that the TAL Implementation Plan was

prepared and endorsed under the leadership of the Government of Nepal with

several other partners. It will serve as a valuable guideline for future programs and

projects in the landscape. We signed important grant agreements with the

Department of Forests and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife

Conservation. There were public hearings and audits of our projects that

Country Representative’s Message

promoted transparency and trust.

People benefited through the initiation

of a micro-hydro project in Sagarmatha

National Park with the support of

Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association.

Climate change research was

enhanced by the installation of an

Automatic Weather Station at

Ngozumpa Glacier, Khumbu. We also sought global expertise to help Nepal on

issues ranging from receding glaciers to human-elephant conflict.

WWF Nepal worked with national park staff and community-based anti-poaching

operations to nab notorious rhino poachers. We have also increased our support

to the larger and more pressing issue of illegal wildlife trade. We are working on

building the capacity of law enforcement and judicial officials with processes and

procedures regarding wildlife criminals and national legislation pertaining to CITES.

An organization is only as good as the people who are committed to its cause

and WWF Nepal staff, both in the field and in Kathmandu, did a tremendous job

in getting conservation results this past year. From what we've accomplished to

the ambitious plans for the future, we remain motivated for a living planet.

Anil Manandhar

Country Representative

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AcronymsAIN Association of International Non-government Organizations

BDS-MaPs Business Development Services-Marketing, Production and Service

BNP Bardia National Park

BZCFUGs Buffer Zone Community Forest User Groups

BZMCs Buffer Zone Management Committees

BZUC Buffer Zone User Committee

CBAPO Community Based Anti-poaching Operation

CBO Community Based Organization

CCNN Climate Change Network Nepal

CNP Chitwan National Park

COP Conference of Parties

CFUGs Community Forest User Groups

CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora

DFO District Forest Office

DNPWC Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation

DOF Department of Forest

DRM Development Research and Monitoring

GIS Geographic Information System

GLOF Glacier Lake Outburst Flood

GON Government of Nepal

HAW High Altitute Wetland

ICDP Integrated Conservation and Development Program

ICIMOD International Center for Integrated Mountain Development

ICS Improved Cooking Stoves

IEE Initial Environment Examination

IUCN The World Conservation Union

KAAA Kaadoorie Agriculture Aid Association

KCA Kangchenjunga Conservation Area

KCAP Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project

KCAMC Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council

MAPs Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

MFSC Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation

MOEST Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

NEFEJ Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists

NFE Non-formal Education

NGO Non Government Organization

NMCP Northern Mountains Conservation Project

NTFP Non-Timber Forest Products

NTNC Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation

PPI People and Plants Initiative

SAGUN Strengthened Actions for Governance and Utilization of Natural Resources

SCAFP Sagarmatha Community Agro-forestry Project

SEA Strategic Environment Assessment

SEJ Society of Environmental Journalists

SHL Sacred Himalayan Landscape

SLA Sustainable Livelihoods Approach

SNP Sagarmatha National Park

SNV Netherlands Development Organization

SWR Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve

TAL Terai Arc Landscape

UNDP United Nations Development Program

USAID United States Agency for International Development

VDC Village Development Committee

WTLBP Western Terai Landscape Building Program

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COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE’S MESSAGE ....................................................................................1

ACRONYMS ....................................................................................................................................2

WWF IN NEPAL ...............................................................................................................................4

TERAI ARC LANDSCAPE PROGRAM ..............................................................................................8

WWF IN THE MOUNTAINS ............................................................................................................ 13

Sagarmatha Community Agro-Forestry Project ......................................................................... 14

Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project ............................................................................... 17

Northern Mountains Conservation Project ................................................................................. 21

CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAM ..................................................................................................... 24

FRESHWATER PROGRAM ............................................................................................................ 26

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS ........................................................................................................ 28

DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH AND MONITORING ......................................................................... 31

COMMUNICATION AND CONSERVATION EDUCATION ................................................................ 34

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................. 38

HIGHLIGHTS 2005-06 ................................................................................................................... 39

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... 44

Contents

CREDITSCover pic main © WWF Nepal / Thomas KELLY; © WWF-Canon;© WWF Nepal / Sandeep C RAI; © WWF Nepal / Shubash LOHANI

Text & edits: Trishna Gurung, Basanta SubbaDesign and Printing: Format Printing Press, KathmanduPublished in January 2007 by WWF Nepal

Any reproduction in full or in part must mention the title andcredit WWF Nepal

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WWF in Nepal

Although Nepal comprises only 0.9 per

cent of the global terrestrial area, it has a

rich diversity of flora and fauna. Nepal also

faces formidable conservation challenges such as

deforestation, poverty, wildlife poaching, and a

rapidly growing human population.

WWF's work in Nepal began with the conservation

of Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Bengal

tigers in the late 1960s. Since then, we have

supported Nepal's conservation efforts, changing

with the strategic new directions in the

conservation policies of the Government of Nepal.

From the early emphasis on species preservation,

research and capacity building of managers for the

effective management of protected areas, WWF

Nepal's focus has evolved to include species,

forests, freshwater conservation, and lobbying for

issues relating to climate change, while dealing

with the issues of sustainable livelihoods of local

people to benefit conservation.

In recent years, WWF Nepal has supported the

Government of Nepal in adopting and promoting a

landscape-level approach to conservation for the

long-term survival of large terrestrial wildlife and

cohabitant species.

In 1993, an agreement with the government of

Nepal in led to the establishment of the WWF

Nepal Program Office in Kathmandu to coordinate

and monitor our projects in the country.

Where We Work

IN THE LOWLANDS

Nepal's Terai belt is a fertile stretch of agricultural

land in southern Nepal. It also forms part of the

alluvial Gangetic plain. Only the western and far-

western Nepal still retains portions of what was

once a vast expanse of forest cover popularly

known as Char Kose Jhari. The protected areas

and adjoining forests is home to globally threatened

wildlife species such as the Asian elephant, Greater

One-horned Rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, Gangetic

dolphin, Swamp deer, Gharial crocodile, Hispid

hare, Bengal florican, Greater hornbill, and the

Sarus crane. The Terai still retains about 68 per

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We work in close partnership with

Various ministries, departments, and the line agencies of the Government of

Nepal, locally elected bodies, conservation organizations and development

agencies, diplomatic missions based in Nepal, and national and international

NGOs. We also work with community groups, local people and grassroots

stakeholders, individual donors and others committed to biodiversity

conservation and environmental protection.

Our work is funded by foundations, governments, aid agencies and

individual donors. Our financial transactions are internally audited

and are open to public auditing.

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cent of the remaining forests of the

country.

The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL)

Program is a joint initiative of WWF

and the Government of Nepal. The

program involves partner

organizations, donors agencies,

stakeholders, community based

organizations and local people.

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Situated on the southern slopes of the

central Himalayas, 86 per cent of

Nepal is hills and high mountains. The

mid-hills have the greatest diversity of

ecosystems and species with nearly

32 per cent of the country's forests.

WWF currently implements projects in

the following mountainous biodiversity

hotspots: Kangchenjunga

Conservation Area Project (KCAP),

Northern Mountains Conservation

Project (NMCP), and Sagarmatha

Community Agro-forestry Project

(SCFAP). In conjunction with the

Government of Nepal and partner

organizations, WWF has also

envisioned a program in the Sacred

Himalayan Landscape which extends

from Langtang National Park in central

Nepal through Kangchenjunga region

in Darjeeling and Sikkim of India to

Toorsa Strict Reserve in Bhutan.

ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Nepal is among the most vulnerable

countries to the impacts of climate

change due to a fragile ecosystem,

poverty, slow economic growth and

lack of climate change adaptation

resources. WWF Nepal initiated the

climate change program in 2003 with

a focus on impact research, policy

and advocacy, adaptation, energy

and raising awareness at national and

international arena.

An important initiative is the regional

glacier project that generates primary

data on glacier retreat and its link with

climate change. The Climate Witness

Project puts a human face on the

global problem of climate change. The

Climate Change program coordinates

the Climate Change Network Nepal

(CCNN), an informal network of nine

I/NGOs, and actively lobbies for

national climate change policies and

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A Return to Peace

The April Revolution or Jana Andolan II brought about the restoration of

a much awaited peace to Nepal. The laying of down arms by both

sides allowed for attention to focus once more on conservation.

More than a decade of conflict had taken a toll on the country.

Conservation too bore the brunt. Till April, most of WWF initiated project

sites around protected areas, activities in buffer zones and the adjoining

forested areas were affected by the deterioration in the law and order

situation and the restriction imposed on people's mobility. The national

focus to combat insurgency, political instability, and the ensuing

atmosphere of uncertainty had pushed conservation activities in the

back seat.

The violence had gradually shifted from rural to urban areas, which

resulted in constant closures 'bandhs' and blockades that restricted

the mobility of field staff, hampered regular coordination, interaction,

supervision and monitoring works. The removal of armed soldiers from

guard posts within the protected areas and the destruction of physical

structures of the posts combined with threats of ambush and booby

traps made traveling difficult in and around protected areas. This

resulted in reduced patrolling and sweeping operations which, in turn,

gave rise to poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and their products.

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awareness, while extending technical

support to the government.

ON FRESHWATER

WWF works globally with partner

organizations to conserve rivers and

wetlands by reducing harmful

infrastructure and curbing water waste

in agriculture through better

management practices and poverty

reduction schemes compatible with

environmentally strong water policies.

WWF Nepal began a freshwater

initiative in October 2004 with the long-

term vision of conserving and

sustainably managing Himalayan water

towers and freshwater habitats in the

country to benefit people and nature.

Our main focus lies in policy advocacy

in safeguarding freshwater resources,

institutional coordination and

strengthening, conservation education

on freshwater issues, wetland

conservation in TAL-Nepal and SHL-

Nepal, the implementation of

Integrated River Basin Management,

conservation of freshwater species like

the Gangetic river dolphin, and

addressing the issues regarding the

use of pesticides and fertilizer in

agriculture.

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On several occasions, our field staff n the Terai were held up by sudden blockades

and failed to reach destinations and meet deadlines. Two of our field staff once had

to spend a night in a small village because of a rebel attack on a nearby Nepal

Army barrack. Given the tight security situation in the project sites, staff usually

faced a hard time explaining the purpose of their travel.

Due to restriction imposed by the rebels, staff members in the mountain areas had

to operate from district headquarters most of the time. In the absence of direct

contact and interaction with local communities of the project sites, they had to hire

local resource persons. For many training and capacity building programs, the

participants were invited from remote villages who were mostly select individuals or

community representatives. Due to this, key community members living away from

district head quarters could not avail of the benefits of the training programs.

LOOKING FORWARD

Though the impact of the decade long insurgency on conservation is yet to be fully

assessed, in the new climate of peace WWF Nepal has adopted strategies to be

more flexible and build trust by continuing to provide funding to win support of local

residents and focus on issues of local livelihoods, strengthening coordination and

collaboration among partners and invigorating communication. WWF Nepal also

believes in reconciling long-term sustainable practice with immediate demands on

natural resources and promoting transparency and good governance in planning,

budgeting and financial transaction.

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Terai Arc LandscapeProgram

The 49,500 km2 of the Terai Arc Landscape

starts from Nepal’s Bagmati River in the

east to India’s Yamuna River in the west,

encompassing 11 transborder protected areas of

Nepal and India. The landscape covers a network

of protected areas, forests, agricultural land,

settlements and water bodies along the Indo-Nepal

border. TAL Nepal stretches from Bagmati River in

the east to Mahakali River in the west. It covers an

area of 22,199 km2 covering part or whole of 14

districts in the Terai.

The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Program was jointly

implemented by the Department of National Parks

and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Forests

and WWF Nepal from 2001. This year, the program

completed the first phase of five years. The focus

of the program was on (i) sustainable forest

management, (ii) species and ecosystem

conservation, (iii) sustainable development, (iv)

institutional strengthening and coordination, and, (v)

education and awareness. Major highlights of this

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year under each theme are presented in the

following sections.

SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

The Terai Arc Landscape - Nepal has 75 per cent of

the remaining lowland forests in Nepal. The

remaining sub-tropical forest in the TAL, previously

known as Char Kose Jhadi is important for its

ecological services and economic value. One of the

major ecological functions of this remaining forest is

to maintain linkages with the network of protected

areas and serve as dispersal corridors for

wild animals.

The Terai forests are in various stages of degradation

due to anthropogenic factors. Illegal harvesting,

forest land conversion, frequent fire, over grazing are

a few of the major threats of sustainable forest

management. Therefore, the TAL Program has

directed its efforts towards protecting, managing and

restoring the forest in collaboration with the District

Forest Offices and local communities.

VISIONA globally unique landscape where biodiversity isconserved, ecological integrity is safeguarded andsustainable livelihoods of it people are secured.

GOALTo conserve the biodiversity, forests, soils and

watersheds of the Terai and Churia Hills in order toensure the ecological, economic, and socio-culturalintegrity of the region.

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Community forestry is an important

institutional vehicle for restoring

degraded forest and checking further

degradation of forests. In this fiscal

year, TAL supported hand over of

1,870 ha of community forests to 31

Community Forest User Groups

(CFUGs) and also supported 12 CFUGs

to amend operational plans to manage

2,250 ha of community forests.

Institutional capacity of CFUGs is

critically important for sustainable forest

management. Thus, the program

emphasized institutionalization and

capacity development of CFUGs. For

this purpose 1,275 office bearers of

CFUGs and Buffer Zone institutions

were provided with various trainings on

sustainable forest management and

organizational development. Altogether

82 CFUGs and Buffer Zone institutions’

office management practices were

enhanced through logistic supports for

establishing and operating offices.

Alternative energy schemes, especially

biogas plants and Improved Cooking

Stoves (ICS) were promoted aiming at

reducing pressure on forest for fuel

wood. Biogas plants with attached

toilet are very popular among the local

communities. During this fiscal year,

the program supported installation of

1,134 such plants. The majority of

beneficiaries of toilet-biogas plant

installation support were Dalits (2.3%)

and indigenous nationalities (54%).

Biogas plants and ICS promoted over

a five-year period in the critical areas

of the TAL Nepal has a cumulative

effective in saving more than 18,000

metric tones of fuelwood annually. In

addition, biogas has come within the

reach of poor households through

sustainable financing mechanism at

the community level. Micro-finance

schemes for biogas plant were

successfully piloted in six sites of the

TAL. The best practices, successes,

lessons and experience from the

piloting of micro-finance schemes for

biogas plant promotion will be

replicated throughout the project sites

in the TAL-Nepal in the future.

Local communities are actively

involved in the restoration of degraded

forests through plantations in fallow

land and degraded areas. The efforts

of CFUGs to establish plantations on

321 ha degraded and fallow lands

were supported. Likewise, in order to

control overgrazing on forest and

thereby promote natural regeneration

in degraded forest patches, local

communities were helped in the

construction of trenches and

installation of fences. Nearly 10,000 ha

of degraded forests were brought

under restoration by preventing

overgrazing and promoting natural

regeneration.

Since this year, the program embarked

on promotion of collaborative forest

management in Kanchanpur, Kailali

and Bardia districts in collaboration

with the Netherlands Development

Organization in Nepal (SNV Nepal). For

this purpose District Forest

Coordination Committees, a district

level apex body of stakeholders were

formed and institutionalized.

SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEM

CONSERVATION

Species and ecosystem conservation

is one of the major focuses of the TAL

Program. Interventions were targeted

at the management of the population

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of large mammals, their habitat

including the prey base. Loss of

habitat due to degradation or invasion

of alien species, poaching, increased

human wildlife conflicts are identified as

the major threat for the conservation of

species in their habitats. The

grasslands in the protected areas of

Terai are decreasing at a rapid rate. All

grasslands outside protected areas

have been converted to other uses.

The loss has a direct negative impact

on the number of ungulates, which

eventually have an impact on

carnivores like tigers in the Terai forest

ecosystem. Therefore, one of the

major activities under TAL is the

management of grassland in the

protected areas. The management of

total 500 Ha of grassland in Parsa

Wildlife Reserve, Chitwan National

Park, Bardia National Park and

Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve with the

support of the program has increased

the concentration of ungulates in the

managed grasslands. Likewise, new

waterholes were constructed and

existing 10 waterholes were renovated

in the four protected areas in TAL to

enhance the water availability to the

wild animals. Similarly, knowledge

sharing on the management and

control of invasive species was also

organized for the park staff to help

reduce the threats of invasive species

in the ecosystem.

Monitoring of tiger, rhino and ungulates

is one of the key activities under wildlife

monitoring. Camera trapping was used

to estimate total tiger populations in

Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and

Bardia National Park. Similarly, tiger

monitoring work was conducted at

Khata and Basanta, two critical

biological corridors, to assess habitat

occupancy.

The program also monitored ungulates,

studied their density and habitat

occupancy in all four lowlands

protected areas with the objective of

obtaining information on the prey

abundance in different habitat types,

distribution pattern of prey species and

the effect of human-induced activities

on prey abundance in biological

corridors and the core areas.

The other research activities carried

out during the year include the

monitoring of swamp deer in

Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, rhino

monitoring at Bardia National Park

and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve

and habitat assessment in Chitwan

National Park.

In an effort to reduce poaching of

endangered species and deter illegal

wildlife trade, the TAL Program

stepped up anti-poaching drives by

conducting a total of 85 sweeping

operations in Chitwan National Park,

Bardia National Park and Parsa

Wildlife Reserve. This resulted in the

arrest of 111 poachers and their

accomplices. Community-based anti-

poaching operations (CBAPOs) were

also active in monitoring wildlife,

generating awareness of the

importance of biodiversity conservation

in local communities, and preventing

against forest encroachment. This fiscal

year, they removed 238 households

from encroaching on forests.

The anti-poaching operations

conducted by local communities in

Khata found that poachers from Nepal

and India used traps and poison to kill

the animal, particularly the tiger. The

major problems associated with

effective anti-poaching were a

reduction of guard posts, the high

international demand for wildlife parts,

inadequate funding for effective mobility

of anti-poaching groups, and operation

of an informants’ network on wildlife

crime.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The lesson learned over the years

regarding sustainable development is

that income generating activities must

be institutionalized. The TAL Program

initiated the formation of 31 income

generation groups in the buffer zone of

Chitwan National Park, Bardia

National Park, Shuklaphanta Wildlife

Reserve and New Padampur to

encourage income generation

activities and sustainable management

of funds. The groups also monitored

the delivery of activities and their

impact on local livelihoods and

conservation. The income generating

activities benefits 340 households

comprising special target group and

indigenous communities.

The project conducted training

programs on off-farm income

generation activities such as sewing

and cutting, house wiring, bamboo

crafting, plumbing and general

mechanics to community members

comprising disadvantaged groups,

indigenous groups and others in the

buffer zones of Shuklaphanta Wildlife

Reserve, Chitwan National Park,

Khata corridor and New Padampur in

Chitwan. A total of 139 marginalized

households of New Padampur also

were trained in vegetable farming.

TAL provided support for small

irrigation schemes such as

construction of canals, deep boring,

shallow pump and Dhikki pump in the

buffer zone of Bardia National Park

and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve,

and New Padampur. This scheme will

irrigate 180 ha of land and benefit

more than 513 households.

Since local resource persons are

technical service providers at the

village level, TAL Program conducted

various training programs to enhance

their skill and capacity. To promote

NTFP, the TAL Program provided

support for seedlings, skill

development training to farmers on

cultivation, sustainable harvesting

from the wild, processing, value

addition, and storage and marketing.

These NTFPs species are generally

unpalatable to wildlife but are of

commercial value. TAL coordinated

the installation of a steam distillation

plant at Kareliya, the buffer zone of

Bardia National Park to extract

essential oil from aromatic plants.

The program is conducting well being

ranking at group levels to identify the

potential sites for interventions.

Similarly, an inventory of natural

resource bases was conducted to

identify the diversity the yield of

NTFPs, especially bel, bet and kakai.

The inventory was conducted during

the year and involved 10 community

forest user groups in Khata. A

microfinance scheme was

conducted involving 23 income

generation groups to implement

revolving funds for micro-credit services

for income generating activities.

Moreover, TAL also organized market

exposure visits for 70 individuals and

facilitated trade movement of NTFPs

worth NRs. 69,86,100, to benefit 1,750

households.

The community services carried out

during the year included support for the

construction and maintenance of 10

local schools that helped 12,003

students, support for the construction

and maintenance of 62 bridges, 3

culvert and hume pipes to the

communities living in the buffer zone of

Bardia National Park, Shuklaphanta

Wildlife Reserve and New Padampur. A

total of 27,145 local residents benefited

from the work. The gravelling of 14,750

m long road is helping more than

22,094 villagers.

INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING

AND COORDINATION

The TAL Program conducted several

trainings to enhance the capacity of

partner agencies. This included formal

and informal training for government

staff, skill training to the community

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group members and informal and

formal education to the women and

other adult members of the

community.

External evaluation of TAL Phase I

was conducted during this period. This

evaluation has recommended further

targeting to poor and marginalized

communities and focus on

sustainability issues. Also of

significance was the Government of

Nepal endorsement of the TAL

Implementation Plan (2004-2014).

Capacity assessment of CBOs was

initiated in order to make program

intervention more systematic and

scientific. At the field level 100 per

cent target of capacity development

activities such as training was

achieved and 99 per cent allocated

budget was spent. The activities

relating to institutional strengthening

and coordination carried out during

the year were: experience sharing on

biodiversity conservation, development

of sustainable livelihood strategies;

forest management training for 244

local residents, and organizational

development and management

training for 460 members of executive

body of community based

organizations. The other activities

were capacity assessment of 284

community based organizations,

logistic support for office management

of user committees and financial and

public auditing to encourage

transparency and good governance in

CBOs. Likewise, several coordination

works were conducted to enhance

partnerships with key governmental

departments, NGOs and donors

working in the Terai Arc Landscape.

EDUCATION AND

CAPACITY BUILDING

Raising awareness of local

communities and capacity building of

community based organizations and

institutions are a significant

component of the TAL Program.

During the year, 37 new Eco Clubs

were formed and the existing 135 in

the buffer zones of the protected

areas were encouraged to raise

conservation awareness, build

capacity to monitor biodiversity, and

share experiences among 23,350

members. Stationary and office

materials were provided to 51 Eco

Clubs, including the new ones.

Eco Club members were also

mobilized to celebrate Wildlife Week,

Biodiversity Day, and World

Environment Day with by organizing

clean up activities, bird watching,

essay competitions etc. The TAL

Program also organized interaction

programs on biodiversity conservation

and good governance on effective

community participation, transparency

and accountability for project related

activities. Kael Pahura, the TAL

quarterly newsletter, was published

and widely disseminated to highlight

achievements, lessons learned, and

success stories of the fiscal year.

CONSTRAINTS AND

LESSONS LEARNED

The critical security situation, regular

blockades and strikes were major

constraints in the smooth operation of

the TAL program in the field up to third

quarter of this fiscal year. This severely

constrained mobility of field staff for

field level planning and monitoring.

However, most of the activities

implemented directly through CBO

partners progressed smoothly. The

program developed and adopted

strategy for managing conservation

program in conflict. The strategy

mainly included conflict sensitive

planning and implementation.

Policy disputes severely constrained

the promotion of Collaborative Forest

Management (CFM) in the 3 western

districts of TAL. However, the TAL

Program carefully carried out frequent

stakeholder consultations and built

consensus among user in favor

of CFM.

Implementation of some activities

requires specialized skill and

knowledge. However, technical

support to the projects as well as to

communities was not adequate. The

program has emphasized partnership

and collaboration with specialized

institutions for providing technical

support to implementation.

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WWF in the Mountains

Located in the central Himalayas, Nepal's

biodiversity is a reflection of its unique

geographical position and altitudinal and

climatic variations. The country's highlands are

relatively less diverse in flora and fauna but they are

endowed with large number of endemic species.

Eleven of the country's 16 protected areas are

located in the high-mountains and mid-hills. These

mountain protected areas also include three of

WWF's Global 200 Ecoregions.

The fragile mountain ecosystems are easily

affected by habitat degradation and unsustainable

harvesting of natural resources, particularly non-

timber forest products (NTFPs). Mountains are also

bear the impact and effect of climate change.

SACRED HIMALAYAN LANDSCAPE

The Sacred Himalayan Landscape (SHL) was

conceived by biodiversity experts and policy

makers at a regional forum in Kathmandu in 1999

when they identified key areas in the eastern

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Himalaya as priority areas for conservation. The

SHL extends from Langtang National Park in

central Nepal through the Kangchenjunga Complex

that extends to Sikkim and Darjeeling in India to

Toorsa Strict Nature Reserve in western Bhutan.

The SHL is globally significant both biologically, in

terms of genetic, species and ecosystem diversity

and endemism of global importance, and includes

two of the Global 200 Ecoregions (Eastern

Himalayan Broadleaf and Conifer Forest and

Eastern Himalayan Alpine Meadows). In addition

to the species-related features of biodiversity, the

SHL also contributes significantly in terms of

ecological processes and services and is

important repository of water towers, glaciers,

headwaters and source of major Himalayan

Rivers. The SHL is also rich in cultural diversity.

For centuries the ethnic and indigenous groups of

this region have contributed to biodiversity

conservation through their cultural, ecological,

agricultural and ethno-botanical knowledge and

practices.

SACRED HIMALAYAN LANDSCAPEA Himalayan landscape where the biologicaland cultural treasures of the world's highest

sacred mountains and deepest valleys aresafeguarded while people's rights overresources are ensured and livelihoods of

mountain people are enhanced and sustained.

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Sagarmatha Community Agro-Forestry Project

Jointly implemented by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife

Conservation and WWF Nepal in Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) and its

buffer zone in 1996, the project site is spread over 1423 km2 and covers

1,450 households in three village development committees (VDCs).

SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

The important work carried out during the fiscal year include the formation,

institutionalization and strengthening of community forest user groups (CFUGs)

and enhancement of their network. The project also assisted in preparing

operation plans for four new buffer zone CFUGs that contained a simple inventory

of biological resources. Through the project, training was conducted on scientific

management of community forests and the preparation of a forest inventory.

The meeting of Community Forestry Coordination Committee (CFCC) held on 6

December 2005 in Lukla discussed ways to integrate conservation activities

among various user groups, enhance coordination with SNP and its buffer zone,

and manage the flow and utilization of fund. Project staff monitored and assessed

activities of buffer zone CFUGs and provided support for the sustainable

management of their forests. Each of the CFUGs were provided with field

equipment to facilitate surveillance, that will complement the works of anti-

poaching units in the future.

Apart from providing 34,781 seedlings to the buffer zone CFUGs, the project with

support from communities planted 12,520 seedlings of different species in private

forests. The project also conducted a research on the traditional Shinginawa

system in the Khumbu region. The research highlighted the role local Sherpa

communities in SNP have in managing their forests in a sustainable manner

through Shinginawa, or forest guards, for centuries.

To promote alternative energy in a region where forest resources is scarce, the

project supported the installation of seven newly designed fuel efficient stoves in

three VDCs in the buffer zone of SNP. The micro-hydro project implemented

through SCAFP with the support of Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA)

at TokTok will draw water from Ghatte Khola and generate 70 KW of electricity

to benefit 100 households, two Gompas and a number of hotels and lodges.Tengboche Monastery, SNP

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SPECIES CONSERVATION

WWF Nepal provided financial and

technical support to establish an

exhibition center at Namche that

displays 70 species of medicinal plants

found in the region, the medicines

prepared from them and provides

various information on them. The

centre also sells medicines prepared by

the Amchis, traditional healers.

The project provided support for the

habitat management of red pandas

and a bird sanctuary. Habitat

management partially succeeded in

controlling cattle grazing and extraction

of Arundinaria shoot from red panda

areas. Effective management of the

bird sanctuary and the promotion of

eco-tourism are likely to enhance local

income generation.

The community-based anti-poaching

units (CBAPUs) set up with the

support of the project in Chaurikharka

VDC actively patrolled the habitats of

musk deer and red panda in SNP and

the buffer zone areas. The Kongde

CBAPU recovered more than 50 ft3 of

illegal timber from the community

forest. A workshop organized on June

2006 gave the local surveillance team

an opportunity to to share experiences

with representatives from

Kangchenjunga Conservation Area

(KCA) on anti-poaching activities. Apart

from providing field gear and monitoring

equipment such as binoculars and

digital cameras to park staff and buffer

zone CBAPUs, the project also

supported four teams of park staff to

monitor musk deer habitats.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The project gave material to build 16

greenhouses, encouraging the local

residents of Khumbiyulha BZUGs to

grow fresh vegetables for sale local

hotels and lodges to generate a

substantial income. The support for

the transportation of 10 metal poles to

replace wooden poles or Chhottars

has helped save trees.

INSTITUTIONAL

STRENGTHENING AND

COORDINATION

After a series of local level consultation

meeting with major stakeholders, the

management plan and operational

guideline for the SNPBZ was

prepared. The plan includes general

procedures of service procurement

from the park, planning and

implementation procedures, public

auditing and hearing and the

prioritization of activities in line with the

approved buffer zone management

plan for the next five years.

SCAFP organized coordination

meetings at different levels to

strengthen linkages between the

Himalayan Trust, Tourism for Rural

Poverty Alleviation Program, and

Sagarmatha Pollution Control

Committee to understand each

other's activities and priorities.

Other activities related to

institutionalization and capacity

building of buffer zone institutions,

orientation on good governance, training

on account keeping, project monitoring

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and evaluation, and report writing.

Likewise, the project provided support

to four Women Awareness Groups in

Chaurikharka VDC for the preparation of

their constitutions and revision of

operational plans for the next five years.

EDUCATION AND

CAPACITY BUILDING

To create general awareness on the

importance of biodiversity found in

SNP, community management of

local forest resources, issues of local

livelihoods and the landscape level

conservation approach, the project

created a network of Eco Clubs on

the occasion of the World

Environment Day, 5 June 2006. The

Eco Club network has a total of 180

students and 24 teachers from 12

different schools.

Environment Day was celebrated with

an exhibition displaying the products

that were locally prepared using eco-

friendly materials by Eco Club

members. The products delivered

messages for environmental

protection. Apart from organizing

community awareness campaigns in

their respective communities, the Eco

Clubs organized awareness

campaigns on the importance of

musk deer conservation. With the

support of the project, the Khumbu

Area Eco Club Network committee

comprising 12 Eco Clubs (13 teachers

and 17 students) joined hands with

park staff and five representatives from

partner organizations and conducted a

clean up campaign at Everest Base

Camp from 29 March to 4 April, and

removed 588 kg of degradable and

non-degradable waste.

In schools, the project has carried out

activities to bring in youth and children

into realizing importance of

conservation. The project has

established an endowment fund to

award stipend for 25 local girl

students. It also supported the Eco

Club network to publish the

"Sagarmatha Eco Kosheli" that carries

conservation messages to generate

interest in school children in natural

resources conservation.

CLIMATE CHANGE

In order to document climate witness

stories, the project supported local

people to study, collect and collate

climate witness stories from the hard

hit areas by GLOFs such as the

riverbanks of Bhote Koshi, Imja and

Dhudh Koshi rivers. Likewise, fact

sheets were published to disseminate

information on the status of glacier

and Glacial lakes.

CONSTRAINTS AND

LESSONS LEARNED

Although seasonal out-migration of

local people caused a slow down in

project activities, most of the targeted

activities were carried out successfully

during the year. As in the past, local

residents had little time to participate

in project activities during the peak

tourist season. This suggests that

implementation of project activities is

more efficient if they do not coincide

with the arrival of tourists in the project

area. Since local people's participation

measures the success of the project,

activities should be carried out when

people have time to spare, which is

after the busy tourist period.

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Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project

The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP) was launched with

the objective of conserving biodiversity through an integrated

conservation and development project. The project aims to achieve this

by strengthening the capacity of local communities to manage their natural

resources while enhancing their livelihood opportunities.

SUSTAINABLE FOREST AND ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

The project handed over 16 CFUGs to local communities, out of which one is

entirely managed by women. These forests cover 47,772 Ha of land and 891

households in Lelep, Tapethok and Olangchung Gola VDCs.

The fencing of plantation area around Ghunsa Lower Secondary School using

local material has not only saved plants from domestic livestock but also provided

income generating opportunities to locals. And the 500m stone wall-fence in

Yangma, which is the highest settlement area in KCA, prevents blue sheep from

entering and destroying crops. The project's support of 234 metal poles for the

local community to use for prayer flags saved at least 500 trees.

Around 30,000 saplings were distributed from old stock after the Maoists

imposed production of new saplings. Due to the unfavorable situation, the project

managers handed over nursery management responsibility to three mother

groups. In addition to this responsibility, the Shrinkhala mother group and Eco

Club members of Dudh Pokhari planted 7,500 saplings.

Five improved metal cooking stoves received from KAAA were distributed to high

altitude herders. These improved metal cooking stoves are expected to reduce

biotic pressure on high altitude forests and meadows. After verifying suitability of

these cooking stoves to local conditions, more stoves will be installed in the high

altitude settlement areas in coming years. Preliminary study shows it has already

reduced 25 per cent demand in firewood.

The other important activities in KCAP include the formation of village

electrification committee for the construction of a micro-hydro scheme in

Lungthung of Lelep VDC-5, a survey of Yamphudin micro-hydro scheme with the

potential of producing 8 KW of electricity, the replacement of a faulty turbine at

the micro-hydro plant at Gola, and setting up of two kerosene depots in

Yamphudin and Ghunsa.

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As part of raising awareness and

exploring potential of NTFPs in KCA,

four local residents participated in the

first "National Trade Show and

Seminar on Herbs, Herbal Products

and Spices" organized in Nepalgunj in

November 2005. They recommended

the names of potential species for

trade in the seminar. They also

suggested the establishment of

nurseries for community based NTFPs

and the need to determine

commercially viable products. A

follow-up workshop in Taplejung

identified seven such species to be

grown in five different sectors within

the conservation area.

A rangeland management strategy

was also prepared taking into

consideration local needs, prevalent

management practices, conservation

requirements and the traditional

knowledge of the local people.

SPECIES CONSERVATION

Owing to the security situation and

difficult working conditions, the project

conducted wildlife monitoring through

the Himali Samrakchhan Manch, a

local NGO. The first monitoring

conducted between 29 December

2005 and 12 January 2006 sighted

several species. The team also

removed 40 traps and snares

intended for wildlife. The second

monitoring conducted between 26

January and 13 March 2006 also

found 71 snares. Himali Samrakchhan

Manch recommended regular

monitoring during various times of

the year.

Snow leopard monitoring was

conducted three times between 26

October 2005 and 4 July 2006 with

the objective of laying permanent

transects for the future. The first

monitoring was conducted in seven

previously laid transects. The survey

also found that snow leopard had

killed five young yaks and a jokpa. The

project has started community

managed livestock insurance scheme

in Ghunsa area to prevent reprisal

killing and general animosity towards

wildlife. Livestock herders have agreed

to deposit NRs 55 per cattle per year

and 18 owners have already insured

382 livestock. So far four

compensation claimants have

collected NRs. 2,500 each.

A red panda captured by a pilgrim on

his way to the famous Pathebhara

Temple was released by the project

staff where it had been found.

Other activities regarding species

conservation carried out during the

fiscal year include the preparation of

livestock and pastureland inventory

and strengthening of communications

by three satellite telephones. These

are also used to collect information on

wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching

surveillance.

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

The Child Day Care Center that was

closed in 2004 by the insurgents was

reopened and 25 children of working

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local women are benefiting from the

service. The increasing demand for

other small day-care centers shows

the popularity of the centre.

The demands by insurgents for cash

contribution made some Mother

Groups suspend the saving and credit

program, but other groups continued

with the scheme. The project office

made a provision of issuing entry

permits to trekkers visiting KCA. A

total of only 175 foreigners visited KCA

during the fiscal year and the drop in

the number of visitors has impacted

local incomes.

The Lepchung drinking water scheme

implemented with the support of the

project benefits 21 households, while

the repair of Phalay drinking water

system is benefiting another 22

households. The construction and

maintenance of 1,200m trail at

Jaubari Bhir directly benefits 111 local

residents and foreign trekkers.

The other major activities of the year

include the construction of two

suspension bridges over Thakpa and

Menthungwa River, construction of 20

toilets, a Health Post and an irrigation

canal, which benefit 50 poor

households of Lelep. The

construction of 37 greenhouses has

encouraged local women and poor

households to grow off-season

vegetables.

The field research carried out with the

objective of establishing an inventory

of NTFPs and documenting ethno-

botanical knowledge of local

communities has enhanced local

youths' capacity to conduct

independent inventories. Apart from

conducting feasibility study for NTFP

enterprises and establishing a fund of

NRs 10,00,000 to promote the

enterprises, the major training

conducted during the year was on the

operation of cooperatives, enterprise

development, and sustainable

livelihoods. This year, locals produced

50 liters of Seabuckthorn juice worth

NRs 12,500.

In a bid to promote local products,

carpets, hard cheese, Seabuckthorn

juice, cardamom, chairaito, kutki,

bikhma, dhupi etc were exhibited at a

fair organized in Biratnagar in March

2006. Support has also been provided

to a cooperative shop in Ghanlung. A

research study on Yarchagumba

(Cordyceps sinensis) in Ghunsa and

Gyabla/ Lungthung sector identified

trade value, quality and abundance of

the species.

INSTITUTIONAL

STRENGTHENING AND

COORDINATION

In order to ensure institutional

strengthening and maintain

coordination, the KCA Management

Council (KCAMC) met four times

during the year and made decisions

on working modalities for project

activities, renewal of KCAMC as an

NGO, auditing of project accounts,

and the resumption of stalled project

activities due to insurgency.

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The project also contributed

substantially into the handover

process of community forests to local

user groups, improvement of trans-

border relations to curb illegal trade in

protected species, preparation of the

KCA management guidelines and

programs for the next fiscal year.

The other important activities carried

out during the year include project

support provided to register Himali

Conservation Forum as an NGO,

district level interaction with visiting

human rights activists and members

of civil society, horticulture training for

nursery naikes, and a training

program on organizational

management. The project also joined

hands with Taplejung Journalists'

Federation, Amnesty Taplejung and

SEJ Nepal and made an appeal to

concerned parties to make a

favorable environment for the

resumption of project activities.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

The project continued its support to

diligent local girl students to complete

their school education by providing

stipend through local mother groups.

While most of the mother groups

provided stipend to deserving girl

students, some groups had to

postpone it due to insurgents'

increasing demand for contribution.

The project published the third and

fourth issues of "Kangchenjunga

Upahaar" and a brochure in Nepali

and disseminated them widely. As

part of awareness campaign, the

brochure published in collaboration

with Federation of Nepali Journalists

-Taplejung, gives information on the

endangered species found in KCA

such as snow leopard, red panda,

Himalayan black bear and musk

deer. Likewise, 289 local inhabitants

including 195 women, participated in

a three-day workshop on mass

awareness on gender sensitive

conservation and development.

As part of awareness campaign, the

project celebrated the Environment

Day on 5 June by organizing clean-

up activities and plantation in school

compound, and debate and essay

competition on environmental issues.

As for Eco Clubs, the number has

gone up to a total of 14 in KCA. A

network of Eco Clubs has also been

made to make their activities more

coordinated and effective.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

The Project Executive Committee

meeting held on 27 July 2005

discussed the yearly progress of the

fiscal year 2004-005 and outlined next

year's activities. Orientation programs

from 3-4 June 2006 in KCA underlined

the importance of conservation in the

Sacred Himalayan Landscape and

indigenous people's relation to nature

conservation.

CONSTRAINTS AND

LESSONS LEARNED

The security situation and the

restriction imposed by the insurgents

on project activities were the foremost

constraints in the effective

implementation of targeted activities

during the fiscal year.

A major lesson learned in difficult

security situations was the need for a

different working modality such as

mobilization of community-based

organizations, local resource persons

and district level NGOs for specific

project activities.

Yarchagumba research in Ghunsa

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Northern Mountains Conservation Project

Implemented in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and

Wildlife Conservation, the Northern Mountains Conservation Project (NMCP)

aims to conserve the biodiversity of Shey Phoksundo National Park (SPNP)

and to improve the socio-economic conditions of local communities living within

the national park and its buffer zone.

A representative of unique trans-Himalayan ecosystem, SPNP is home to a

mountain flagship species, the snow leopard, and prey populations including the

the musk deer, blue sheep and Tibetan wolf. The national park is endowed with

rare, endangered and endemic medicinal plants. For its unique natural, social and

cultural diversity the national park has been proposed as a World Heritage Site.

To reduce growing pressure on forest and pasture resources from livestock

grazing, wildlife poaching, illegal and unsustainable harvesting practices of NTFPs,

WWF implemented NMCP in 1996.

FORESTS

CFUGs and BZUGs members planted 2,810 seedlings in 6.50 Ha of areas during

the fiscal year. Salix species that are suitable to Dolpo was planted. Altogether

332 households will benefit from the plantation. NMCP handed over the Galligad

nursery to various committees for its long-term sustainable management in line

with the project's phase-out plan. The project is providing technical and financial

support to produce seedlings with community's initiative and involvement in the

nursery at Tripurakot VDC.

To make local CBOs more competent in managing their natural resources and

carrying out community development activities in an effective way, NMCP

conducted various capacity enhancement training, workshops and study tours

for community members. The training ranged from community forest

management and inventory preparation to saving and credit scheme; and from

awareness on the local governance act to the use of GIS/GPS.

In the forest resource scarce areas of NMCP, the project introduced and installed

fuel efficient improved cooking stoves to reduce firewood consumption, improve

family health and decrease women's household work. During the fiscal year, it

distributed a total of 372 sets of improved cooking stoves (ICS) to different

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With the objective of deterring wildlife

poaching, illegal harvesting and

collection of medicinal plants, the

mobilization of Eco Club members and

sister groups yielded positive results.

This activity also succeeded in

arresting unscrupulous individuals

involved in tree felling. The patrolling

conducted by the Snow Leopard

Conservation Committee (SLCC)

removed and destroyed several traps

and snares intended for wildlife. The

project has been supporting research

on snow leopard in SPNP. A

preliminary snow leopard-transect

monitoring survey has shown snow

leopard abundance at 5-7 per

100 km2.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The two Traditional Health Care

Centers set up by NMCP at

Phoksundo and Dho Tarap are

operating in full swing and providing

basic health care services to local

people. These centres also collect and

process medicinal and aromatic plants

to make traditional medicines. To

make the activities more transparent

and accountable, public hearing and

auditing was conducted. A two-day

workshop among the Amchis

discussed ways to strengthen their

network in Dolpa and the

institutionalization and sustainability of

Amchi hospitals.

The project organized training on

kitchen gardens for local women with

the objective of developing at least

one female kitchen gardener in one

village. The local women are using the

skills acquired in the training to

produce vegetables from the seeds

distributed to them. NMCP supported

the building of a one-room building,

which is being used by the Himali

Sister Group for group work in

Maddhu village at Tripurakot VDC.

As part of education and capacity

building program, NMCP encouraged

non-formal and governance literacy

classes. Ninety eight local women and

two Dalit men benefited from the

program conducted with the objective

of generating literacy activities and

dealing with issues such as equal

place and role for women in community

meetings and decision making

Home solar system equipments that

were distributed in previous years

have not only reduced consumption of

diyalo for lighting but has also helped

to improve local health by minimizing

respiratory ailments. Villagers can now

work at night and children can use

the solar light to do their homework

in the evening.

SPECIES

As part of snow leopard conservation

program, NMCP invited the secretary of

CFUG of Khata (from TAL) to share his

experiences of community-based anti-

poaching operations with the members

of CBOs of Dolpo. Apart from sharing

his experience, he related the

problems, issues and success and

failures of community-based

approaches to deter wildlife crimes.

23

processes, equal wages, women's

rights and protection against

discrimination and harassment

to women.

The other activities carried out during

the fiscal year include training on good

governance, support for nature

conservation at Eco Club - Dunai,

leadership training for local women

and conflict management training for

community-based organizations to

settle differences. Likewise, an

advanced training on fittings and

maintenance of home solar system

and back boiler were also organized

for rangers and project motivators.

Apart from the regular publication of

Phoksumdo, information on vision,

objectives and activities of

Strengthening Action for Governance

in Utilization of Natural Resources

(SAGUN) Program in Dolpo was

disseminated through NMCP

notebooks.

As part exit strategy of NMCP, several

local and central level meetings were

organized.

CHALLENGES AND

LESSONS LEARNED

Though there was little improvement in

the security situation in the later part of

the fiscal year, the deteriorated security

situation in most part of the fiscal year

hampered project activities relating to

biodiversity conservation and

community development. Moreover,

the situation directly affected monitoring

works of the project.

The working situation improved

gradually after the insurgents withdrew

restriction imposed on three VDCs. The

field staff kept low profile and built good

relationship with the local community,

while practicing good governance,

maintaining transparency and mobilizing

the members of CBOs. However, most

of the works concentrated in Dunai, the

district headquarter. As the security

situation improved, the remaining

SAGUN work will continue to be

implemented in the previously

restricted VDCs.

The important lessons learned during

the year was that implementation of

field-based activities through CBOs is

more effective, particularly in difficult

security situations. The project also

recognized the need to mobilize the

local community for need-based

activities such as micro-hydro electricity.

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Climate Change Program

Climate change is not just about rising

temperature, it means more than that.

Ecoregions will become wetter, drier and

stormier. They will also become subject to greater

climatic variability and a dramatically increased

incidence of catastrophic weather events.

Scientists grimly acknowledge climate change as

the most serious threat for the future - threat not

only for the environment but an overall threat to

humanity.

Nepal is among the most vulnerable countries to

the impacts of climate change due to our fragile

ecosystem, poverty, slow economic growth, and

lack of adaptation resources. Climate change is still

not a priority in the national planning process

because of an information gap and a low level of

awareness among key stakeholders.

In 2003, WWF Nepal initiated the Climate Change

Program with major focus on following themes a)

climate change impact research b) international

negotiations c) climate change adaptation work d)

awareness raising and d) alternative energy. We

initiated a regional glacier project that aims to

generate primary data on glacier retreat and its link

with climate change. This research-oriented glacier

project highlights the impacts of climate change in

the Koshi river system that leads to the Ganges

river basin. Similarly, another regional project that

focuses on building national capacities in

negotiation forums such as United Nations'

Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC) brings stakeholders from Asia Pacific

region to unify the voices of vulnerable nations. This

project is being implemented in Nepal, Indonesia,

Tuvalu and Cook Island.

Likewise, WWF Nepal's Climate Witness Project

tries to put a human face to the global problem of

climate change. Climate witnesses from the high

Himalayas share their experiences on how climate

change impacted their lives.

The climate change and energy program also

coordinates an informal network of nine

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PROGRAM VISION (50 YEARS):Nepal's people, biodiversity, ecosystem,

watersheds and Himalayan water towers aresafeguarded from climate change impacts.

PROGRAM GOAL:By 2014, the vulnerabilities of biodiversity,ecosystems and people to climate change

impacts in Nepal are mainstreamed in thenational development planning process andadaptation strategies are implemented to address

and reduce the impact of climate change.

25

organizations (I/NGOs) known as the

Climate Change Network Nepal

(CCNN). The network actively lobbies

for national climate change policies

and awareness issues, and extends

its technical support to the

government. The program has also

successfully reached urban youth

through awareness campaigns and

media outreach.

One of the important achievements of

the fiscal year was the formation of a

regional platform of Least Developed

countries (LDC), Small Island

Development State (SIDS), and

Association of South East Asian

Nations (ASEAN) countries to highlight

the common issues at the 11th

Conference of Parties (COP) at

Montreal, 2005.

This year, the installation of an

Automatic Weather Station (AWS) at

the Ngozumpa Glacier was

completed. At 4,850 m the glacier

Ngozumpa is the longest glaciers in

Nepal. The AWS is being operated

together with Department of

Hydrology and Meteorology, Ministry

of Environment, Science and

Technology, Government of Nepal.

On the awareness front, the program

reached a wider audience. Norbu

Sherpa, WWF Nepal's Climate

Witness, represented vulnerable

communities in the Climate Witness

Symposium at Tokyo, Japan in

October 2005. Norbu shared local

stories of devastation and impacts

caused by glacier lake outburst flood.

At the national level, a school

awareness program was successfully

conducted which reached more than

1,500 young students.

The activities of the year also include

the regional meeting on the expansion

of Himalayan Glaciers and River

Project and the capacity building of

government institutions.

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Freshwater Program

Freshwater provides valuable services and

plays an important role in our lives.

Important freshwater services include food,

drinking water, building materials, nutrient recycling

and flood control. WWF's Global Freshwater target

is to ensure healthy environmental processes in

590 river Ecoregions and protect 250 million Ha of

representative habitats worldwide, while managing

them in a sustainable way by 2010.

In the Eastern Himalayan Ecoregion Complex, the

target is to establish and manage populations of

focal species as meta-populations, and maintain

and restore ecological processes in four catchment

areas by 2010.

Globally, WWF and its partner organizations has

not only successfully led to improved management

of freshwater resources, but also significantly

contributed to the improvement of livelihoods of

poor local communities. In developing countries,

proper functioning of freshwater ecosystems has a

proportionately greater impact on the livelihoods,

health and security of the poor. A WWF report on

Freshwater and Poverty Reduction has

demonstrated that freshwater conservation and

poverty reduction can and often do go hand in hand.

In view of the increasing pressure on the country's

water resources, WWF Nepal has joined hands with

partner organizations to consolidate efforts and

safeguard the country's freshwater resources to

conserve biodiversity dependent on it and enhance

the livelihoods of local people.

The freshwater initiative is relatively new and it is

being integrated in WWF's Terai and mountain

programs. After the endorsement of National Water

Plan 2005 by the Government of Nepal, WWF Nepal

built a new partnership with the Water and Energy

Commission Secretariat (WECS), a Government

apex body for water resources and the International

Water Management Institute (IWMI) for the initiation

of Koshi River Basin Management as prioritized by

the Plan for basin wise management of water

resources.

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VISION:Himalayan water towers and freshwater habitatsin Nepal are conserved and sustainably managed

to benefit people and nature.

GOAL:By 2011, WWF Nepal will champion theconservation and management of wetlands andecological processes are maintained and restored

through conservation efforts.

27

Our work on Ghodaghodi Lake

system, one of four Ramsar Sites in

Nepal, is focused on biodiversity

conservation by addressing the issues

of livelihoods of local communities at

the grassroots level, which is being

implemented together with the

Government of Nepal through the TAL

program. The CBAPO formed by TAL

is mobilized in cooperation with

Ghodaghodi Area Conservation and

Awareness Forum (GACAF) to monitor

the activities in the lake. In a short

time period remarkable successes are

achieved in the field. Some poachers

voluntarily handed over their fishing

equipments to CBAPO team, which

was also successful in removing the

illegal settlement from the immediate

periphery of Ghodaghodi lake. In order

to manage and improve the existing

crocodile habitat, a sand bank of

60m2 north-west of Ghodaghodi Lake

is developed. The success of this

activity was immediately reflected as

fresh foot prints of crocodiles were

found by local volunteers who regularly

monitored the sand bank.

A scientific study was conducted to

find out minimum estimated population

of Gangetic river dolphins in Geruwa

and Mohana branch of Karnali River

within TAL Nepal. The research

confirm that 4 individuals were found

in a stretch of 37.15km north from

Kothiaghat of Geruwa River and 9-12

individuals were found in a stretch of

16.02km west from Kothiaghat of

Mohana river. The study also analyzed

threats and issues for conservation of

river dolphins in Karnali River. The

major threats identified are intensive

fishing, river bank erosion, pollution

due to anthropogenic activities and

motorboat transportation. The

research was documented and the

information was disseminated through

a Asia Regional Dolphin Meeting in

May 2006 in Kathmandu organized by

WWF Nepal.

WWF Nepal supported the

Government of Nepal for the

assessment of 7 High Altitude

Wetlands (HAWs) in Gokyo,

Gosainkunda, Singjima,

Phokshumdo, Rara, Paanch pokhari

and Kyangin valley using the Ramsar

Information Sheet (RIS) as a baseline

for data collection. RIS of 4

significant HAWs at Gokyo, Rara,

Phoksundo and Gosaikunda were

prepared and the Department of

National Parks and Wildlife

Conservation (DNPWC) has reviewed

the document. It is to be submitted

to the Ministry of Forest and Soil

Conservation for approval before

proposing it for declaration by the

Ramsar Bureau.

A series of two workshops on HAWs

were conducted to update various

partners and disseminate the result of

the study. The proceeding of the first

workshop conducted jointly with

Foundation of Ecosystem Management,

a local NGO, has been published. The

second workshop was conducted jointly

with DoF and DNPWC to disseminate

information on 4 HAWs and information

sharing on RAMSAR COP9. The result

of the studies were also disseminated

though fact sheets.

The cultural and religious significance of

four HAWs: Salpa, Mai Pokhari,

Gosaikunda and Paanch Pokhari, were

also conducted to integrate traditional

knowledge and beliefs in conservation.

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Sustainable Livelihoods

The lesson learned from nearly four decades

of conservation is active and meaningful

participation of communities in conservation

will not be sustained if we cannot help the people

meet their daily subsistence needs. As a

conservation organization, our effort towards this end

must come from within a defined conservation

framework.

Our prime target people for livelihoods benefits are

those whose subsistence activities are threats to

conservation, those directly dependent on

biodiversity resource for minimum subsistence

needs, increase coping capacity and access other

basic needs (e.g. quality education, improved health

and sanitation services, improved toilets and safe

drinking water, infrastructural services).

One of the recommended strategies we adopted

was mainstreaming the sustainable livelihoods

approach in conservation planning, implementation,

monitoring and evaluation. Besides this, the aim of

building users capacity is understanding the

livelihoods complexity, its linkages to biodiversity

resources, institutionalize livelihoods monitoring at

local user groups/committee, to ensure inclusion of

disadvantages and socially excluded people's

concern, and sensitize the conservation and

livelihoods linkages framework that WWF developed

and conceptualized in its inception period.

Our major focus in the last year was building users

groups' capacity, assessment of changes in

livelihoods using the Sustainable Livelihoods

Approach (SLA), communicating our respective

effort to the wider community, joint program

development with partners, and institutionalizing

sustainable livelihoods monitoring at the local level.

The major improvement in livelihoods efforts are

as follows:

SLA CAPACITY BUILDING:

The strengths of SLA capacity building training is to

build capacity mainstreaming tools, understand and

monitor livelihoods changes and generates

information that WWF aimed to achieve. It is

practically learning and action in nature where

people can realize the changes and demonstrate

their insight feelings. About 110 people comprising

more than 60 per cent dalits, women and

indigenous from different user groups, committee

and council in mountain and Terai benefited.

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29

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LIVELIHOODS ASSETS

CHANGE MONITORING:

The major achievement of the past

fiscal year was conceptualizing the

monitoring of livelihoods changes

together with local users according

pre-defined biological and livelihoods

outcome indicators that are already

part of the TAL and mountain program

logical framework monitoring plans. To

ensure that all people benefited, social

differentials such as caste, ethnicity,

gender, and household wellbeing

strata were taken into account. This

ensured the magnitude of groups

benefited and targeted our

conservation efforts generating

livelihoods opportunity among those

who are in the national priority and

targeted in poverty reduction strategy

paper (PRSP-10th Plan). This effort

addresses different dimensions and

roots of poverty that defined in PRSP-

10th Plan like income, human and

social exclusion, marginalization and

powerlessness. WWF Nepal linked this

achievement as a contribution to the

national and global poverty reduction

policy.

This fiscal year was the first time that

WWF Nepal used the SLA framework

to assess the asset-change based on

local beneficiary perceptions analysis

which was found to be very effective,

less time consuming and close to

ground reality. It was developed with

local users based on DFID/UK

monitoring of the SLA framework.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO NATIONAL

PRIORITY (PRSP-10th PLAN):

WWF Nepal is addressing people's

livelihoods issues within the

conservation framework while taking

into account the PRSP-10th Plan.

Conservation interventions provide

substantial opportunities for locals to

improve their livelihoods. Interventions

are built on livelihoods resources

issues, strategies, and vulnerability

that negatively impact livelihoods and

add pressure on natural resources.

During the planning process, with

feedback and local user consultation,

the number of socially differentiated

groups households and persons

benefited, and monitoring was also

determined.

Interventions focus on income

generation to reduce poverty;

community services to improve and

enhance basic health, education,

infrastructures to increase/enhance

equitable and improved access; and

capacity building, raising awareness,

governance to ensure social inclusion

and empowerment for meaningful

participation in biodiversity resource

management and benefit sharing.

To monitor WWF Nepal's contribution

to community, target groups, PRSP

goals, we collected and compiled

disaggregated data. The project

monitoring logical framework document

defined these indicators with a

conservation and livelihoods theme.

In WWF project areas, more than

8,000 HHs directly benefit from

income generating activities and about

25,000 HHs benefit from improved

community services. Almost 400

persons, more than 35 per cent

women, gain from direct livelihoods

related capacity building activities.

SOCIAL INCLUSION:

There is a majority of indigenous

nationalities especially in the Sacred

Himalaya Landscape and Dalits in the

NMCP compared to the Terai Arc

Landscapes, which is more

heterogeneous. WWF realized that

30

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without ensuring inclusion in sharing

livelihoods benefits together with the

conservation program, we would not

have the active, meaningful and

leading participation of local

communities within all key positions in

user committees, groups and councils.

In the Sacred Himalayan Landscape,

local indigenous people are involved in

high value NTFP harvesting, marketing

and processing. Their culture of

hospitality and food processing

technology contributed to the

promotion of mountain tourism. WWF

Nepal's recent plans and future actions

are built on these local strengths.

In the Terai, dalits benefit from use of

fallow land within and around

community forests. With aid from low-

interest micro-credit facilities, rattan,

stone-fruits (Bel) and other high value

NTFPs plantation and harvesting

generated direct income benefits. This

activity increased their coping capacity

as well as transformed into meeting

other subsistence needs to create

sustainable livelihoods in the long-term

perspective.

NEPALI SLA STRATEGY

DOCUMENT:

The Sustainable Livelihoods

Mainstreaming Strategy document

was published in Nepali in order to

reach a wider audience, making our

conservation and livelihoods links

transparent and comprehensive. This

was at the frequent demand of local

partners and communities.

LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS:

WWF Nepal currently works with

more than 1,300 natural resource

management based local CBOs and

civil society organizations. The

challenge is to mainstream the SLA to

address conservation and livelihoods

challenges in their local programs.

Mobilizing those CBOs and building

their capacity will be part of WWF

Nepal's future partnership

interventions.

MAINSTREAMING:

SLA was integrated into the

Freshwater Program at WWF Nepal

during this fiscal year. Identification of

potential wetlands and its beneficiary,

magnitude of the affected HHs, and

resources were estimated. The

development of a project document to

address the people through benefits of

wetland conservation is under

process. Involvement and contribution

to the Freshwater Program will be a

future priority.

FUTURE CHALLENGES:

It has been a critical year for sustainable

livelihoods and conservation. The

number of internally displaced people to

the Terai Arc Landscape has increased

along with the rapid departure of local

youths from the mountain. This has

given rise to pressure and conflict with

local users groups and negatively

impacted forests. Meanwhile, local user

committees face additional pressure in

addressing challenges and threats in

those landscapes. These challenges

make a conservation organization like

WWF revaluate our interventions. The

emerging conflict on consumption,

sharing, and ownership of resources

keep local people from meeting their

subsistence needs. WWF Nepal will

have to address additional livelihoods

subsistence needs of internally

displaced, landless, freed kamaiyas,

and in-migrants. The magnitude of

contributions to the National and Global

Priority (PRSP/MDG) must be scaled

up. And lastly, for effective conservation

to continue, we must encourage the

institutionalization of biological and

livelihoods change monitoring capacity

at local user level.

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Development, Researchand Monitoring

As a science-based organization, WWF

puts special emphasis on development,

monitoring and research. In the past

fiscal year, we made important strides in assessing

biodiversity conservation efforts, adding to our

database of endangered species and other critical

parameters, and forging new partnerships. Major

work in the past fiscal year included:

RAPPAM:

In coordination with the Department of National

Parks and Wildlife Conservation, we were able to

assess the overall management effectiveness of all

16 protected areas of Nepal using the Rapid

Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Areas

Management (RAPPAM) methodology.

The Conference of Parties of the Convention on

Biological Diversity (Feb 2004) produced a very

tangible, target driven programme of work on

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APA

protected areas. Each party must now evaluate

their protected areas and protected areas

systems and implement key recommendations

before 2010. The RAPPAM assessment is an

important step in meeting Nepal's commitment to

the CBD.

The principal objective of such an exercise is to

improve conservation of protected areas through

effective management - both for individual sites

and protected areas systems. The findings of the

evaluation can be used to help managers improve

on-going management, to influence policy, to

improve accountability, and to raise awareness.

A report on the RAPPAM has been published

which includes the findings, recommendations

and next steps. This report is believed to

contribute to the effectiveness of protected areas

management in Nepal.

31

32

TAL EVALUATION:

The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL)

Program began implementation in July

2001, learning from the Bardia

Integrated Conservation Program and

replicating some of the practices.

However, TAL moved beyond the

purview of site-based conservation

(one protected and its buffer zone) to

a more holistic landscape level. At the

end of 2005, the TAL program

completed it first phase of

implementation. A mid-term evaluation

was carried out to assess and analyze

the impact of investments made in

TAL over the past five years.

The evaluation was carried out by a

team of independent experts: Dr.

Pitambar Sharma - Team Leader

(regional planner), Dr. Tirtha Bahadur

Shrestha (Biologist) and Dr. Hari

Krishna Upadhayay (Livelihoods

Expert). The evaluation found the

achievements in the first phase of

implementation satisfactory and

highlighted some of the major

achievements made in the restoration

of the critical areas and species

conservation. The recommendations

from the evaluation will be

incorporated in the second phase

project document for TAL.

SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM:

Action research grants were provided

to 11 students from various institutions

that carried out research in

conservation and sustainable

livelihoods in our working areas. Their

findings will help WWF fine tune its

activities in the field while extending

important support to students to

complete their dissertations towards

the fulfillment of their academic

degrees.

WWF CENTRAL

DATABASE SYSTEM:

New technological advances allows us

to store and share data through a

central database system. Currently

maintained in the Access platform, we

are upgrading to a system that allows

more use by field staff. A web-based

interactive central database system is

being developed that will allow easy

access to all staff and customize

reports. GIS maps are now available

in WWF Nepal Internal Portal which

can be downloaded from the Central

Database Server. The maps are

categorized according to WWF

Program. Digital copies of WWF

publications and annual technical

reports are also available on the

Internal Portal. Photographs have

been archived in a Photo Database

System, accessible to all WWF staff

on the Local Intranet. Similarly, an

Employee Database has been created

that consist of the employee personal

profile and other relevant information.

TERAI WILDLIFE AT

THE GLANCE:

Wildlife monitoring, with a focus on

flagship species like tigers, ungulates,

rhinos, and Bengal floricans was

carried out in the Terai Arc

Landscape. Tiger monitoring was

conducted in Shuklaphanta Wildlife

Reserve for two consecutive winters

and photographic evidence of 22

tigers puts the population estimate at

27 breeding tigers. Prey monitoring

showed high abundance of tiger prey

species in protected areas and the

corridors. Habitat occupancy of tigers

showed 38 per cent of forest use by

tigers in the Khata forest corridor.

Photographic evidence from the

corridor forest shows use by tigers

and rhinos. A sweeping operation was

carried out in the Babai River

floodplain inside Bardia National Park

showed an alarming decline in rhino

population.

A grassland succession study was

carried in Old Padampur in Chitwan

National Park. Based on the

comparative analysis of vegetation

structure parameters and changes in

composition, Old Padampur grassland

was identified to be in Ecesis stage of

succession. This suggested the

grassland is still in its early

developmental stage of succession

and showed high prominence of

Saccharrum spontaneum.

33

GIS:

Grassland Change and Mapping in

Terai Protected Areas to analyze the

changes in grassland coverage in four

protected areas of Terai Arc

Landscape between 2001 and 2005

has been completed. Key finding were

that the annual rate of grassland

decrease and losing to other landuse

was higher in Shuklaphanta Wildlife

Reserve with 0.19 per cent.

Major mapping was completed for the

Sacred Himalayan Landscape and

Koshi River Basin with the aim of

support in the design of future

programs.

MONITORING:

The regular monitoring of the project

performance was conducted in order

to assess efficiency and effectiveness,

and recommend corrective measures.

Based on the findings of the

monitoring and lessons learnt in the

previous year, the logical frameworks

of the programs were revised along

with the monitoring plan.

NETWORK STANDARD:

WWF Nepal made an effort to adhere

with the new network standards. To

this effect WWF revised its half yearly

and annual reporting format as

prescribed by the network standard.

The logical framework approach and

monitoring plans has been well

adopted for al projects of WWF. This

will also be followed for the new

programs in development.

LEARNING AND ADAPTING:

After the introduction of adaptive

management in the projects last year,

it has been an integral part of the

project cycle management. As this

was the first time that Adaptive

management schedule (AMS) for WWF

projects were prepared and followed,

there were some challenges. The

lessons learned will be incorporated

into preparations for the upcoming

fiscal year. Half yearly and annual

review meetings were conducted in

order to reflect on what went well and

why, similarly, the shortcomings of the

projects were identified and strategies

to overcome those shortcomings were

designed and implemented. Programs

have been able to share success

stories from the field with wider

audiences.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND

COLLABORATIONS:

Collaboration with research

organization like the Wildlife

Conservation Society (WCS), Center

for Wildlife Studies was made with Dr

Ullas Karanth and his team to analyze

tiger data and methodical design for

camera trap research work. An effort

has been made to publicize a joint

paper with WWF and DNPWC, the

latter being the first author.

MOU WITH KATHMANDU

UNIVERSITY AND EVK2CNR:

WWF has always realized the

importance of partnership with

academic institutions and research

organizations to support its

conservation work. In this regard, a

memorandum of understanding was

signed with Kathmandu University and

EVK2CNR, an Italy-based research

organization. The partnership with

Kathmandu University will capitalize the

comparative advantages of two

institutions in conducting long-term

wildlife research and capacity building

programs. The partnership with

EVK2CNR will focus more on research

activities related to snow leopard in the

Sagarmatha region.

Endorsement of Rhino Action Plan

The Greater One-horned Rhinoceros

Conservation Action Plan (2006-2011),

prepared by team lead by Shyam

Bajimaya with the support of WWF

Nepal over three years ago, was finally

endorsed by Government of Nepal,

Ministry of Forests and Soil

Conservation in July 2006. This is a part

of the greater effort by the government

to conserve the most enduring emblem

of Nepal's rich biological heritage.

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Communication andConservation Education

WWF Nepal's communications, education

and outreach programs seek to engage

and encourage participation in

biodiversity conservation and sustainable

development from a local to a global perspective.

Communications and conservation education builds

on awareness to enable people to act from a better

understanding of the importance of biodiversity

conservation and sustainable development in Nepal.

WWF Nepal is committed to taking conservation

forward through partnerships from the local to the

global. They include those who work on the ground,

CBOs and the Government of Nepal to the WWF

network, international government aid agencies and

individual donors.

Communications and education continued to be an

integral part of all the projects and programs at WWF

Nepal. At the local level, WWF Nepal, together with

various partners, initiated and promoted awareness

and capacity building programs among local people

to conserve Nepal's biological diversity in a way that

is ecologically viable, economically beneficial and

socially equitable. We also sought to reinforce our

credibility as an organization that works for

conservation and environment protection.

COMMUNICATIONS:

The main communication activities in WWF Nepal

involve both print and the electronic media and

include proactive media relations work. The

communications program was successful in

highlighting conservation issues of national and local

importance through the features service,

newsletters, reporting and other publications;

establishing a presence on radio, television, and

online; and developing a core group of media people

who are sensitized to environment and development

concerns.

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35

In the past fiscal year, we

strengthened institutional links and

partnerships. We worked with national

media houses like Kantipur

Publications and Himalmedia in raising

awareness. On the international level,

WWF Nepal's work in climate change

was featured in an international

documentary made for Al Jazeera. To

reach out to the biggest audience, we

expanded our radio services making

Bhuparidhi in the Terai Arc Landscape

a weekly program and introducing

"We are the world: hamro sansaar

hamrai haathma" a conservation radio

program in Kathmandu through the

valley-based Hits FM.

Innovative outreach projects to

promote conservation awareness and

call for action among target groups

were initiated. This year, several

nationally renowned TV stars

participated in a traveling street

theatre show against rhino poaching

in Chitwan National Park to mark

World Environment Day. Over 5,000

people watched the play, which was

covered by local TV stations. Sugarika

KC, Miss Nepal 2005, was WWF

Nepal's second Conservation

Ambassador. She was a regular

contributor to the Kathmandu-based

weekly radio program. In addition, she

attended WWF programs and

participated in several outreach

activities, including a special field visit

to Chitwan during World Environment

Day 2006 where she spoke to large

masses on rhino conservation.

Sugarika also was a welcome and

popular part of the Water Day

activities when WWF Nepal together

with volunteers urged Kathmandu

dwellers to save water. She also

joined in the school level climate

change awareness campaign by

giving several talks on the issue to

young students.

WWF Nepal improved

communications resources by

digitizing the best selection from our

collection of slides and photographs.

New and fresh exhibition material was

developed. An audio-video was

created and the publication database

was updated. Our website

wwfnepal.org received a makeover

and is now being hosted by WWF

International. The Content

Management System allows for easy

updates that has removed the need

and expense of a local webmaster.

Based on the WWF Brand, we have

implemented the guidelines in our

internal and external communications

materials, as well as the working

environment. Together with human

resources, the office has been

branded with our corporate colors and

every effort is being made to be

'green'. The WWF Brand presentation

was adapted for Nepal and all new

staff were briefed on the bigger WWF

picture and how we maintain and

contribute to a global image. The

Communications Unit continues to the

focal point for branding.

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EDUCATION:

Conservation education has been a

crucial component for the success of

WWF Nepal's conservation endeavours

because of our strong conviction that

conservation education is a process

that will ultimately help people to reach

their fullest potential for conservation

and sustainable development. The on-

going conservation education programs

are designed for the school children,

teachers, community members and

general public in order to enhance their

decision capability for conservation and

sustainable development. The purpose

of conservation education is to achieve

increased people's participation in

conservation of biological diversity and

sustainable development by bringing

attitudinal and behavioral changes

through enhancing knowledge and

capacity thereby strengthening their

decision capability.

WWF Nepal and its conservation

partners jointly implement school-

based environmental education

programs through the formation of

Eco Clubs, which are independent

groups of students that work

collectively to support conservation of

their natural and cultural heritage.

Awareness and extension programs

are organized at the local level. Non-

formal education and capacity building

programs are implemented in project

areas to improve literacy and create

conservation awareness, especially

among women. The education of girls

in the project areas with the Girls

Students Stipend aims at the long-

term empowerment of women

through education.

The focus for the conservation

education programs for the fiscal year

06 was the integration of conservation

education programs in the priority

programs; sustainable forest

management, species and ecosystem

conservation, climate change and

freshwater. The improvement in the

quality of environment education in

schools as part of strengthening Eco

Clubs in the project areas of WWF

Nepal was also an important area of

our intervention. In the last fiscal year,

the School Level Climate Change

Awareness Campaign sought to

include climate change as a

complement to the school curriculum.

School teachers were invited to be

part of a workshop to determine the

most effective way to support their

teaching of this complex subject.

In the WWF Nepal field projects,

various education activities were

successfully carried out. Children

continued to benefit from Eco Clubs

and by providing stipend to the

deserving, needy students and those

children who are victims of or affected

by human/wildlife conflict.

Eco Clubs have been formed and

strengthened in WWF Nepal project

and program sites to enhance

conservation education among school

children with a total of 301 Eco Clubs

throughout the nation. These Eco

Clubs are affiliated to 9 Eco Club

Networks in the respective districts

that help in coordinating the clubs and

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keeping them active. Thirty-seven

new Eco Clubs were formed in TAL

during the FY 2005/2006 to enhance

conservation education programs in

schools among school, in total there

are 160 Eco Clubs in TAL. Similarly,

one new Eco Club each was formed

in SCAFP and KCAP, bringing the total

number of new Eco Clubs formed

during the fiscal year to 39. Eco Clubs

and networks were mobilized for

extension of conservation awareness

among students, their families and

villages. These Eco Clubs and

networks were supported for carrying

out extra-curricular activities to

generate conservation awareness.

Exposure tours, training, orientation

and interaction activities were

organized to enhance understanding

of students on conservation issues

and to build their capacities for

managing Eco Clubs.

A few highlights from the Eco Club

activities carried out in the Terai Arc

Landscape in the past fiscal year

include the protection of the plantation

site supported by Hollywood celebrities

during the MTV Trippin' Program in

November 2004, waste management

and biodiversity conservation programs

for their communities. The Eco Club

Network of Nawalparasi organized 550

members in a conservation rally of

about 6 km on the occasion of World

Wetland Day. In the mountains, Eco

Club students and teachers initiated an

Everest Clean-up campaign from Lukla

to Everest base Camp. Eco Club

members throughout the SCAFP

painted signposts and rock paintings on

the importance of musk deer

conservation. In Kangchenjunga, the

newly formed Pathivara Eco Club

Network Committee organized a

plantation program whereby around 600

rhododendron saplings of different

species were planted in land is owned

by Pathivara Devi Darshan Committee

and is envisioned as a Rhododendron

Park for conservation and recreation.

Eco Clubs in NMCP led four anti-

poaching campaigns in Phoksundo,

Raha, and Tripurakot VDC in March-

April 2006. In total, 56 members

participated in the program whose main

objective was to control illegal activities

in the forest like poaching, illegal

harvesting, and destruction of nets

and traps used for poaching. Dozens

of nets and poison sticks were

collected and destroyed. In

Kathmandu, a total of 1,500 students

from 25 private and public schools of

Kathmandu valley learned about

climate change and its impacts

through an awareness program from

October 2005 to June 2006 organized

by WWF Nepal and Clean Energy

Nepal with support from the British

Embassy. Both students and teachers

found the program innovative and a

useful. The teachers, recognizing the

importance of teaching climate

change, said it was extremely

important and should be incorporated

into the school curriculum. Following

the success of the school level climate

change awareness program, Clean

Energy Nepal and WWF Nepal will

begin another awareness program

targeted at college students from

August 2006.

Several education and communication

materials were developed in English

and Nepali. This is critical for the target

audiences to recall conservation issues.

Environmental awareness programs

were frequently organized on important

conservation days like World

Environment Day, World Wetland Day,

Wildlife Week, etc. The Communication

and Education strategies remained in

their draft form as the final review would

follow the overall WWF Nepal Strategic

Plan (2006-2011).

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Financial OverviewWWF NEPAL

AUDITED STATEMENTS OF EXPENDITUREFOR FISCAL YEAR 2001-02 TO 2005-06

Particulars

Terai Arc Landscape Program

Sacred Himalayan Landscape Program

i) Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project

ii) Sagarmatha Community Agro Forestry Project

Northern Mountain Conservation Project

Other Priority Program

Administrative Expenditure

Total Expenditure

Total amountFY 2001-02

53,814,324

27,553,208

21,825,096

5,728,112

16,074,704

21,006,135

16,256,192

118,629,859

Total amountFY 2002-03

40,845,915

15,985,624

11,592,223

4,393,401

17,589,025

12,288,053

22,000,167

91,119,759

Total amountFY 2003-04

54,884,679

17,745,777

12,772,069

4,973,708

16,413,198

12,118,447

24,519,353

109,268,256

Total amountFY 2004-05

134,605,465

16,843,313

11,442,380

5,400,933

13,937,434

19,642,577

10,499,923

181,591,278

Total amountFY 2005-06

80,095,870

35,768,187

29,669,889

6,098,298

7,127,246

27,780,443

9,366,330

160,138,076

Figures in NRs

WWF's fiscal year ends on 30th June

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JULY 2005

MOU with Kathmandu UniversityA Memorandum of Understanding was signed

between WWF Nepal and Kathmandu University to

use the resources of both organizations efficiently

and effectively in order to promote conservation

education and research.

Student's fund for BeautyStudents from kindergarten to Grade 4 at Wendy

House School, Kathmandu, donated funds raised by

making and selling paper bags to promote

environmental friendly materials to Beauty, the

orphan rhino in Kasara. The students handed the

money over to the Buffer Zone Management

Committee, CNP to sponsor Beauty's food.

Alternative IncomesWWF Nepal supported the construction of two fish

ponds for 113 households of Bote and Mushars in

Amaltari.

NTFP PromotionMore than 40 farmers attended the training

programs in the cultivation of Kurilo, Pipla,

Aswagandha, Kalmegh, Palmarosa, Lemongrass,

etc in Khata corridor, Bardia through the TAL

Program.

Himalayan Glacier ProjectA two-day Regional Workshop on Himalayan Glacier

Project was held in Kathmandu to explore the

possibilities of scaling up the existing Himalayan

Glacier Project into a larger regional project that

integrates the Climate Change and Freshwater

programs. The workshop, organized by WWF Nepal

on 20-21 July 2005, was attended by

representatives from WWF offices in Nepal, India,

China, Pakistan, International, Australia, UK, and the

Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the

Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.

Public Hearing on TALThe annual program review meeting and public

hearing session was held on 9 July 2005 at

Thakurdwara, Bardia. The meeting was organized by

the Protected Areas and Buffer Zone office of the Terai

Arc Landscape Program at Thakurdwara and was

attended by diverse stakeholders representing

community members, executives of the implementing

CBOs/NGOs, local journalists and government officials.

Support from the British EmbassyOn 28 July 2005, an agreement was signed

between The British Embassy and WWF Nepal for a

project "Raising awareness on Climate Change

among Eco Clubs in Kathmandu Valley" for the

period of one year effective from 1 August 2005.

AUGUST 2005

Signing of Grant AgreementsFive separate grant agreements amounting US$

1,754,039 signed between WWF Nepal

Program, DNPWC and DOF on 15 August 2005

to support biodiversity conservation and

sustainable community development in WWF

project sites

Conservation EducationConservation Education session held for Miss

Nepal - 2005 contestants, which included a

presentation by Dr Chandra Gurung and a

briefing from WWF Nepal's first Conservation

Ambassador Payal Shakya, Miss Nepal 2004.

Signing of WTLCPThe implementation document signed for the

Western Terai Landscape Complex Project

(WTLCP), an eight-year program for

conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity,

by Anandaram Regmi, Joint Secretary of

Ministry of Finance, Dr Damodar Prasad Parajuli,

Joint Secretary of Ministry of Forests and Soil

Conservation, and Ghulam Isaczai, Deputy

Resident Representative of UNDP, on 31

August

Highlights

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HighlightsSEPTEMBER 2005

Donor BriefingA team from WWF Nepal had a meeting with

KAAA, a donor partner involved in the

infrastructure and community development

activities and in alternative energy programs

mountain projects, at their office in Pokhara on 12

September 2005.

Micro-financing for BiogasA workshop on micro-financing biogas plants at

Dhangadhi on 6 September 2005 was attended

by community members with representatives from

Winrock International, BSP and WWF NP.

Rajendra Gurung, Program Officer - TAL,

facilitated the workshop. The establishment of

biogas plants through micro-financing in selected

areas was decided.

Planning workshopThe Climate Change Program organized a half-day

"Planning Workshop for Climate Change

Awareness Raising Program" on 18 September

2005 for Eco Club teachers of 25 schools. The

main objective was to identify possible and

effective school level activities for students in

raising awareness on climate change impacts and

other issues.

OCTOBER 2005

High Altitude Wetlands In NepalAn inventory of at least seven priority wetlands in

Nepal being prepared and a workshop was

organized by WWF Nepal in coordination with Forum

for Ecosystem Management to share information

and recommend future initiatives

Gangetic Dolphins in NepalWWF Nepal's dolphin research team caught an

elusive Gangetic dolphin on camera. The study

centered on Karnali River and tributaries in TAL-

Nepal

Top Tiger Experts in NepalDr John Seidensticker and Dr Mahendra Shrestha of

Save the Tiger Fund visited the Terai Arc Landscape

to observe and assess STF-supported activities in

Nepal. They were also exploring new ways of

strengthening ongoing partnerships to conserve

tigers more effectively in Nepal

AWS for EverestWWF Nepal Program presented an Automatic

Weather Station (AWS) to the Department of

Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), Ministry of

Environment, Science and Technology of HMG/N on

5 October 2005. A tripartite agreement between the

DHM, WWF Nepal and the Society of Hydrology

and Meteorology - Nepal (SOHAM) was also signed

for research on the regional Himalayan Glacier and

River Project

NOVEMBER 2005

Micro Hydro in Sagarmatha National ParkNearly US$ 200,000 committed by KAAA to WWF

Nepal for the Ghatte Micro Hydro project in

Sagarmatha National Park Buffer Zone on 10

November. Its 70 KW capacity will benefit more

that 87 households when completed in

September 2006.

AWS Installed in Nguzumpa Glacierby a team from WWF Nepal, DHM and MOEST to

collect important data for the Himalayan Glacier

and River Project

DECEMBER 2005

International Mountain Day11 December was celebrated by Ministry of Forest

and Soil Conservation together with partners like

Nepal Tourism Board, TRPAP, KMTNC, ICIMOD,

IUCN, TMI and WWF Nepal with the theme of

"Sustainable Tourism for Poverty Alleviation in

Mountain Areas".

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HighlightsExposure to EnterpriseFarmers and entrepreneurs from the Terai went on

an exposure tour to Barabanki, Masouli and

Lucknow in India from 31 December 2005 to 3

January 2006 to see the potential of non-timber

forest products and high value crop linkages. The

tour was sponsored by the TAL Program.

Help for Anti-poachingA radio communication set has been installed in

Chitwan National Park through the funding support

of TAL Program to better communications for anti-

poaching operations. The communication set is fully

functional and covers almost a third of the park. All

the repeater stations are backed by solar energy

systems. It will tremendously help in undertaking

anti-poaching operations effectively. Likewise, it will

also be instrumental in managing the national parks.

JANUARY 2006

Inauguration of School BuildingDr. Tirtha Man Maskey, Director General -

Department of National Parks and Wildlife

Conservation (DNPWC), inaugurated a building of

Janajyoti Secondary School, Shivapur Bakuwa in

the Buffer Zone of the BNP, Bardia on 2 January

2006. The two additional classrooms were added to

accommodate the increasing number of students.

The locals contributed more than 50 per cent to the

cost of construction and the TAL Program also

provided financial support.

MoU with Clean Energy NepalWWF Nepal signed a Memorandum of

Understanding with Kathmandu-based NGO

Clean Energy Nepal (CEN) to formalize their joint

work on energy and climate change on 30

January 2006.

FEBRUARY 2006

World Wetlands DayA day-long programme themed "In the face of

poverty, wetlands are lifelines," was held in the

capital to mark World Wetlands Day on 2 February

2006. It was jointly supported by DNPWC, DOF,

WWF Nepal, KMTNC, NTB, Forum for Eco System

Management, IUCN and UNDP along with other

NGOs. On the occasion, WWF Nepal released

factsheets on four High Altitude Wetlands.

Putting it into actionThe TAL Implementation Plan (2004-2014) was

handed over to the Ministry of Forests and Soil

Conservation at a ceremony attended by

government line agencies, I/NGOs, donors and

supporters of the largest conservation undertaking in

the history of His Majesty's Government of Nepal on

16 February 2006.

MARCH 2006

Teaching Climate ChangeA two-day workshop was organized to discuss a

"Teacher's Manual: Teaching Climate Change at

School" for Eco Clubs and environment school-

teachers from Kathmandu valley on 9-10 March.

Although the current environmental education has

certain content on climate change, there is no direct

link to the issue in both grade 8 and 9 curricula.

New training methods at CNPA week-long program for mahuts of national parks

and private elephant holders arranged by the

DNPWC and TAL Program took place at the

Elephant Breeding Center at Sauraha, Chitwan. A

follow-up session will be scheduled in the future with

the support of Finland.

A helping handThe staff of WWF Nepal contributed NRs 23,500

with an additional NRs 6,000 from WWF Finland to

the Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) run

by three Nepali women on 23 March 2006. The

ECDC is a non-profit organization that runs a day

childcare centre for the children of female prisoners

in a Kathmandu jail.

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HighlightsSmugglers ArrestedThe CBAPO in Bhajani confiscated 15 logs of sal

from four people who had cut the trees illegally from

the Choutara Community Forest User Group area.

The timber smugglers were reported to the District

Forest Officer and local ranger.

MoU with Ev-K²-CNRWWF Nepal and the Ev-K²-CNR Committee joined

hands to undertake wildlife research and monitoring

activities of the snow leopard and prey species in

Sagarmatha National Park. The Memorandum of

Understanding was signed by Dr Chandra Gurung

and Agostino Da Polenza, President of Ev-K²-CNR

Committee on 24 March 2006.

CR Visits New PadampurDr. Chandra Gurung, Country Representative of

WWF Nepal visited New Padampur area on 29

March 2006. He was accompanied by Dr. Tirtha

Man Maskey, Co-chair, IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist

Group, Mr. Tikaram Adhikari, Chief Warden, RCNP

and Santosh Nepal, Shubash Lohani and Purna

Kunwar from WWF Nepal. Dr. Gurung inaugurated

the newly built building of Bhimodaya Madhyamik

Vidhyalaya and praised the contribution made by the

people and mentioned that WWF will continue its

support in the community based conservation

initiatives in the area.

World Water Day CelebratedWorld Water Day 2006 was marked by a special

person-to-person awareness activity in Kathmandu

by WWF Nepal in partnership with Friends of the

Bagmati on 22 March 2006. The international

theme for this World Water Day was "water and

culture". A postcard was printed as a handout.

APRIL 2006

Wildlife Week (14-20 April 2006)Celebrating Nepal's rich biodiversity in a week

dedicated to raising awareness and encouraging the

participation of young people in conservation, WWF

Nepal planned activities in Kathmandu and in the

project sites. Unfortunately, they have to be

postponed because of political unrest in the country.

The closing ceremony was held on 4 May 2006.

Several WWF Nepal communications materials were

released on the occasion.

MAY 2006

Nepali Climate Witness goes internationalNorbu Sherpa, the WWF's Climate Witness from

Nepal, was featured extensively in an important new

documentary. The documentary is being produced

by Television Trust for the Environment (TVE) for the

news-channel Al Zajeera International. Tanya

Peterson, Head of Television, WWF International,

Nick Turner of Television Trust for the Environment

and Aarati Gurung, Climate Change Programme

went to Ghat to film Norbu from 21-26 May 2006.

To the mountainsDonald Clark, Mission Director, USAID visited the

Northern Mountain Conservation Project

(NMCP) to observe ongoing project work in Dolpa in

May 2006. The NMCP staff provided valuable

briefings and accompanied him. Yeshi Choden

Lama, Senior Program Officer- Mountain, was

deputized from Kathmandu.

River dolphins under threatSix months of field research conducted by WWF

along Nepal's longer river, the Karnali, shows that

river dolphin populations are stagnant and remain

more endangered than ever. The WWF Nepal study

Status, distribution and conservation threats of

Ganges River dolphins in the Karnali River, Nepal is

based on research conducted on river dolphins in

the Karnali River system in the western lowland of

Nepal from July 2005 to February 2006.

CBAPO orientation in SCAFPA team of resource persons for CBAPO from the

TAL Program and participants from Kangchenjunga

Conservation Area Project (KCA) traveled to

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HighlightsSagarmatha for an orientation and training in Lukla.

The training was also attended by CBAPO members

from Sagarmatha National Park.

JUNE 2005

Conservation Ambassador in CNPOn the occasion of World Environment Day 2006, a

team from WWF including Sugarika KC,

Conservation Ambassador and Miss Nepal 2006,

went to Chitwan National Park to promote an anti-

poaching street theatre program. The team was

accompanied by a Kathmandu-based journalist and

received coverage in the local and national media.

SHL Workshop in TaplejungThe mountain unit together with two consultants

from National Environmental Coalition of Indigenous

Nationalities (NECIN) visited Taplejung, KCA from 31

May to 7 June 2006. The objective of the visit was

to organize and participate in two workshops: 1)

Sacred Himalayan Landscape Strategic Plan

consultation workshop and 2) Awareness raising

workshop on relationship between indigenous

peoples and Convention on Biological Diversity.

Media TrainingA half-day media training workshop featuring tips on

how to handle the different forms of media and

being a good communicator was organized by the

Communications & Education Unit on 9 June 2006.

Staff were briefed on the Rapid Response Kit and

handed t-shirts with the WWF logo for field/

interview usage. The workshop also included an

on-camera presentation skills training by the

Institute of Television Films and the Performing Arts.

WWF Nepal in the newsOn World Environment Day, 5 June 2006, a full

page special featuring conservation articles and

success stories was published in Kantipur, a

popular vernacular daily. The articles covered

climate change, success stories from the TAL and

NMCP, an interview with Conservation ambassador

Sugarika KC, Miss Nepal 2006, and news about

the declining Gangetic dolphins in the Karnali.

Reaching outAs part of World Environment Day celebrations,

WWF Nepal participated in a 3-day exhibition.

Recent editions of the newsletter were distributed

along with handouts on WWF Nepal.

Dolphin AwarenessA Dolphin Awareness Program was conducted to

share findings of the research carried out by

WWF Nepal on river dolphins and raise

awareness among locals between 12-16 June at

Thakurdwara, Kothaighat, Khata and Bhajani of

the lower Karnali River basin.

Working with peopleIndigenous peoples and their relationship to

conservation were in focus during a two-day

workshop organized by WWF Nepal and the

National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities

(NEFIN) on 29-30 June 2006. "Raising Indigenous

Peoples' Awareness about Implementation of the

CBD and Framing WWF Nepal's Working Areas

and Approaches on IPs" was attended by

representatives of indigenous communities and

organizations from across the country,

representative government agencies, I/NGOs,

intellectuals and academicians, and individuals

working in environment and natural resources

management.

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Government of Nepal; Ministry of Forests and SoilConservation (MFSC); Ministry of Environment; Science andTechnology (MOEST); Ministry of Culture, Tourism and CivilAviation (MOCTCA); Ministry of Finance (MOF); Ministry ofAgriculture and Cooperative; National Planning Commission(NPC); Social Welfare Council (SWC); Department of NationalParks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC); Department ofForests (DOF); Department of Plant Resources (DPR);Department of Forest Research and Survey, Department ofSoil Conservation and Watershed Management (DSCWM);Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM); Ministry ofAgriculture and Livestock; Nepal Tourism Board (NTB); Waterand Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS); AlternativeEnergy Promotion Center (AEPC); Water and EnergyCommission Secretariat (WECS)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Finland; The British Embassy; TheAmerican Embassy; The Embassy of Finland; The Embassy ofPakistan; Royal Netherlands Embassy (New Delhi)

United Nation's Development Program (UNDP); US Agencyfor International Development (USAID); DGIS/NetherlandsDevelopment Organization (SNV); Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID); Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA); Swedish International Development CooperationAgency (SIDA); European Commission (EC); UK-Departmentof Environment, Food and Rural Affairs-Darwin Initiative; USFish and Wildlife Services (USFWS)

The Macarthur Foundation; The Baber Ali Foundation; Savethe Tiger Fund (STF); Johnson & Johnson; University of Zurich;IUCN Regional Office (Thailand); Kadoorie Agricultural AidAssociation (KAAA); Kadoorie Charitable Fund; Vaidya'sOrganization of Industries and Trading Houses (VOITH);SOS Crocodile

Jim Ottaway; Late Hendrik J Schure; Dr Croucher, SingerRankin; Cherie Bremer-Camp; Dr Ted Tai-Sen Lin; Victor andCaroline Adams; Dr Judith and Michael Brown; NancyAbraham

WWF US; WWF UK; WWF Finland; WWF Netherlands; WWFNew Zealand; WWF France; WWF Germany; WWF Sweden;WWF Asian Rhinos and Elephant Action Strategy and WWFTiger Program; WWF International; WWF China; WWFIndonesia; WWF South Pacific; WWF India

International Center for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD); The World Conservation Union Nepal (IUCN), CARENepal; The Mountain Institute (TMI); Practical Action, Nepal;Winrock International; International Water ManagementInstitute (IWMI); ECO Himal; University of Minnesota;International Trust for Tiger Conservation (ITNC)

Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC); ResourcesHimalaya Foundation; Wildlife Conservation Nepal; Federation

WWF Nepal acknowledges with gratitude the support received from the following partners, donors and supporters:

of Community Forestry Users, Nepal (FECOFUN); Society ofHydrology and Meteorology - Nepal (SOHAM); DolphinConservation Society; Environmental Camps forConservation Awareness (ECCA); Nepal Forum forEnvironmental Journalists (NEFEJ); Society of EnvironmentalJournalists (SEJ); Clean Energy Nepal (CEN); Pro Public;Biogas Sector Partnership Nepal (BSP); KathmanduUniversity; Tribhuvan University (TU); Himalayan AmchiAssociation (HAA); Nepalnature.com; Wildlife Watch Group;Bird Conservation Nepal; Hits FM 91.2; NationalEnvironmental Coalition of Indigenous Nationalities (NECIN);Women Entrepreneurship Association, Nepal (WEAN);Ethnobotanical Society of Nepal (ESON); BDS-MaPs;International Development Enterprises Nepal (IDE)

WWF Nepal would like to express special thanks to:Community Based Organizations; Nepali mediaorganizations; Forest Users Coordination Committees;Community Forest User's Groups, Buffer Zone User's Group;Buffer Zone User Committees; Buffer Zone ManagementCommittees; Eco Club Networks; Eco Clubs; GhodaghodiArea Conservation and Awareness Forum KangchenjungaConservation Area Management Council; Nepal Red CrossSociety; Mother Groups; Youth Clubs; District DevelopmentCommittees (DDCs); Village Development Committees(VDCs); Women Awareness Groups and local communitiesall over Nepal

Acknowledgements© W

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